We the Freaks
by Wanderingcourier
Summary: Albinism... Fully-functioning gills... What's the difference, really? Prupan


**Hey remember that poll I had to determine the title? No? Neither does anyone else!**

**I don't own Hetalia!**

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Gilbert Weillschmidt did not like the lake.

The lake was where he and his family went every summer. His family owned a cabin right on the edge of it. It was about a twenty minute ride to the nearest town, and an hour long ride from there to his home. But, it wasn't the trip that made Gilbert hate the lake. He had myriad other reasons for that.

For one, the weather was _always_ bad. If it wasn't raining, it was unbearably hot. If it was an actually pleasant temperature, it was either going to start storming that day, or it was so humid and buggy that the day would be unenjoyable anyways. To top it all off, it was _boring_. The only things to do were swim, fish, and stay inside and stare at the walls. The lake was nice enough, but swimming was only really entertaining for a few days. They didn't even have any neighbors!

Gilbert huffed as he sat heavily down on the edge of the dock, considering this. His father had kicked him out of the cabin for now, demanding that he get some fresh air after the late dinner. Gilbert was of the opinion that he already had quite enough fresh air from the last few days, thank you very much. He thought that two weeks was too much time at the lake, anyways. Though, his brother and dad enjoyed it, and they didn't enjoy anything, so maybe they needed two weeks.

He swished his feet in the water and wondered how much trouble he would be in if he hitchhiked home.

He was, however, torn from his contemplation by the feeling of something brushing against his feet. Something _large_. He hadn't been fishing at the lake much, but neither he nor his brother had ever caught anything bigger than a foot and a half. This thing must have been at least four feet long, and it didn't feel scaley, either.

Gilbert pulled his feet up, kneeling on the dock and peering into the water below. It was a murky green, and he certainly didn't see anything. Whatever it was, it was big, and it didn't feel like any of the fish or water weeds he had ever seen. He jerked his head up as about five feet away, there was another splash, and he could barely spot something large diving back down into the lake.

He glanced back at the cabin. If he could get a fishing pole quick enough… No. The line would break. Whatever that thing was, it must have weighed eighty pounds. Maybe even ninety. Way too big for a fish in a lake. So what was it?

Gilbert though a moment, before returning to his original position, with his feet in the water. That was what had brought the thing over in the first place, right? He might have scared it off, even. And if he didn't… well, it wasn't a fish, so maybe it was a mammal? Like, some lake dwelling seal? Seals weren't vicious. At least, he didn't think they were.

Man, that would be a shitty way to go. He could practically see the headlines: "BOY, 17, KILLED BY MUTANT SEAL. OFFICIAL APOLOGY ISSUED BY RINGLING BROS." Francis and Antonio would mock him at his funeral. Well, Antonio might not. He probably would afterwards, though. It would be pretty funny.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a ripple in the water. He couldn't tell what it was. Probably just a minnow. Or a mutant seal.

...Same difference, really.

He could feel a current beneath his feet. Something big was down there. The water was, what, about ten feet deep? If he launched himself off the deck, he could probably land on whatever was down there. Which would probably result in his legs being bitten off, but at least he would have a species named after him, maybe.

Perhaps that wasn't the best plan of action. He could still feel movement, though it felt like the thing might have been deeper. Finally, the current stopped. Aquatic animals needed to move in the water though, right? Had it just moved away?

He kept his eyes on the horizon, considering his options. He could tell his brother and his dad, and be labeled crazy. He could go back inside and get yelled at. Or, he could wait here for some big, unknown animal.

Eventually, he rolled his shoulders, standing up. He needed some water, so he might as well go back inside. It looked like it might storm soon, anyways. But as he got up, he did a double take. No more than three feet to the left, there was something sticking up out of the water. A… person's head? Theirs was the only occupied cabin on the lake. Who else could have been in the lake? A moment after he saw it, it ducked back down.

Gilbert flopped down on his stomach, so that his arms hung over the dock. He waited for a moment, before… There. It swam past, close to the surface, and his own arm shot down, grabbed whatever it was, and yanked back up.

Whatever he was expecting to come out, it was not a teenage boy. Gilbert had grabbed his wrist, stretching the boy's arm above his head. He was out of the water to his armpits. Gilbert sat up, crossing his legs, and still holding the other's wrist, though he did lower him back down a bit.

The boy looked to be maybe a year younger than him. He was asian, and pretty small to boot. He also looked fantastically guilty, and Gilbert couldn't blame him.

"What are you doing here?" Gilbert's tone was serious enough to surprise even him. To be honest, he was sort of pissed at this kid. "Were you spying on me?"

The younger blushed and shook his head. "Sorry. I was just curious."

Gilbert glared icily. "That's not an excuse. That's creepy." Seriously, Gilbert knew that he was sexy, but it was creepy. "Who are you, anyway?"

The boy seemed genuinely startled by the question. "Uhh… I'm Kiku. Kiku…" He thought for a moment. "...Honda. My name is Kiku Honda."

Gilbert gave the boy- Kiku- a disbelieving look. "Really? You had to think a moment to remember your last name? Seriously, what's your name?"

Kiku turned even redder. "That is my name."

Gilbert stared at him. What was up with this kid? First he was spying in him, then he couldn't remember his own last name. "No it isn't. People don't have to stop and think about their last names."

Kiku was silent, staring down at the water. Gilbert huffed. "Alright, fine. What are you doing here, then? Where are you even from?" None of the other cabins around the lake were occupied. Or at least, he didn't think that any were. Maybe Kiku was from the town?

"I'm, uh, camping. Here by the lake." Kiku still wasn't looking at him. Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think there were any campgrounds."

Kiku shrugged as best he could with one arm still suspended by the wrist. "Not official ones. There's a sort of clearing, across the lake."

"So, what, you're just camping out in the middle of nowhere? Are you with your family or something?"

Kiku looked sheepish. "Well, no, but-" Gilbert cut him off. "So you're camping, alone, miles from the nearest town? And spying on people?" "...Yes?"

Gilbert looked at him incredulously. Then, he started to laugh. "That's insane! How long are you staying out here?"

Kiku looked confused now, but he still answered. "A few weeks." Gilbert shook his head, still grinning. "That's awesomely insane. Do you have a ca-"

The _crash_ of thunder interrupted him. They both looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. Another bolt of lightning flashed, and thunder boomed again. "Woah, that must be right above us!"

He looked back at Kiku. "Wait, where'd you say your camp was? My dad can give you a ride."

Kiku shook his head, only now attempting to tug his wrist out of Gilbert's grip. "No, it's fine. I can swim-" "No way! That lightning is right here, you'll never make it back!"

Kiku shook his head. "I'll be fine! Let go!" Gilbert glared again, and stood up, dragging Kiku onto the dock. The other boy seemed genuinely surprised by this, flailing and knocking into Gilbert. Gilbert stumbled back, falling ungracefully onto his ass. Seeing as he was still holding on to Kiku's wrist, Kiku fell with him, the boy's weight almost knocking him flat.

The two scrambled up, Kiku trying frantically to pull away from Gilbert. Thunder crashed again, and that's when Gilbert noticed. Along Kiku's sides, huge, open slits, lining the boy's rib cage. Gilbert's eyes widened. "Holy shit!"

The thunder sounded again, and the skies opened up. Gilbert didn't so much as glance back at the house, his eyes fixed on the wounds lining Kiku's chest. "What happened!? Did someone hurt you!?" Kiku was shaking his head, his eyes full of panic. He was yanking his wrist now, trying to get back to the end of the dock.

To Gilbert's mixed amazement and horror, as rivulets of rain began to run down the other boy's sides, the wounds began to… move? His jaw dropped as the wounds practically pulsed as the water ran over them.

"Those are…" Gilbert couldn't finish the sentence. _Gills_. Kiku had gills, like a fucking fish.

Lightning crashed again. "Just let me go," Kiku cried out, "I swear I won't come back! Please, I have to go!"

Gilbert shook his head. He looked around wildly, when he finally spotted a towel. It would be soaked by now, but it would work. He dragged Kiku over to the plastic chair it rested on, practically throwing the wet cloth at the boy. "Wrap up in that. C'mon, we have to get inside!"

He glanced at the door. His father would call him in any second now. Still trying to tug himself away, Kiku shook his head. "No, I can't. I can't! Just-"

Gilbert whipped back around to face the boy. Was he even a boy? What sort of genders did fish have? Whatever. "Shut up and cover those things with the towel before my Dad sees you! You are not getting back into that lake until the storm ends!" Alright, so maybe he had some of that German volume in him. It was better than getting the seriousness.

Seemingly stunned by Gilbert's outburst, Kiku did drape the towel over himself. It didn't hide the gills perfectly, but it was good enough. Gilbert started towards the cabin just as his father opened the door. Gilbert broke into a run, and by some miraculous force, the towel did not fall from Kiku's shoulders as he was pulled along.

His dad raised an eyebrow. Gilbert did not need to be asked to start explaining. "This is Kiku. He was swimming when the storm started and I didn't want him to die." To his credit, his dad didn't even sigh. "Swimming at this hour?" Gilbert shrugged. "He's camping alone." Man, Gilbert was glad his dad was vaguely polite. If Gilbert or Ludwig had done that, they would have gotten lectured until their ears rung. As it was, Gilbert could almost see his dad's eye twitch. He should probably get that looked at.

"Alright then." Another crash of thunder rang out, rising above the knocking of rain on the roof. All three looked up, more out of instinct than anything else. His dad turned back to the two adolescents. "You'll have to stay inside until the storm lets up. Good thing we have an extra bed." Gilbert hadn't even considered that. Kiku didn't have any clothes, either. He'd have to borrow a tee shirt. There might have been some that one of the brothers had outgrown in the wardrobe somewhere. He'd probably need pants, too.

What had he gotten himself into?

Gilbert's dad was looking Kiku over critically. Gilbert prayed that he didn't notice anything different. "If you were in the lake, you'll need to shower. The bathroom is at the end of this hall." "I'll grab some clothes for him," volunteered Gilbert. Getting his clothes would mean he'd have an excuse to be in the bathroom and hopefully get some answers out of Kiku. God knows he had a lot of questions. But, "we have some old stuff in the wardrobe, right?"

His dad nodded. "We should. Just don't lock the bathroom door when you walk in." Kiku nodded, walking down the hall. It reminded Gilbert vaguely of a man walking to the gallows. "I'll be in my bathroom if you need something." Ginning, Gilbert gave a thumbs up. "Got it!"

He watched his dad walk into his room, before trotting into the room he and Luddy shared. The younger of the two hardly even looked up as Gilbert threw open the wardrobe and began to dig through it. "So how was outside?"

Gilbert held up a suitable looking shirt for inspection. "Wet," He answered, tossing the shirt back as he saw the rip in the side. He held up another, slightly smaller grey shirt, "and surprisingly active" he added, deeming the shirt acceptable and tossing behind and beside him. Now for pants…

"Active?" West almost sounded interested. That was nice of him. Now, where were those sweats he accidentally shrank last year? "I met a kid out there." He dug through the pile of clothes on the floor of the wardrobe. "Your age, I think. He's in the bathroom." There they were! They'd be baggy, but Kiku'd at least be able to get them to fit his waist. Mostly. They'd be long, too, but it wasn't like he was keeping them. Was he? Did he just live in the lake, or did he have an actual camp? And where did he get swim trunks if he lived alone in a lake?

Oh geez, would he need underwear? Probably. They had extra boxers here, right? He placed the pants with the shirt and resumed digging. "Is he staying the night?" There was a pair. Gilbert inspected it closely. "Yeah, probably. Unless the storm ends right now." Well, there were no visible stains, and he couldn't smell them from this close, either. Gilbert gathered up the clothes and straightened up. Ludwig was reading. Of course he was. Stupid smart brother.

Gilbert hurried to the bathroom. It was only then that he realised that he didn't hear any water going. Not bothering to knock, he pushed the door open. The towel was still draped around Kiku's shoulders as he leaned into the shower, fiddling with the controls. Kicking the door closed behind him, he set the clothing down on the counter and locked the door.

"Do you want me to do it?" Kiku jumped nearly a foot in the air, and Gilbert held back a grin. "...Yeah." The kid's voice was barely above a whisper. Gilbert had considered him quiet before, but now… It was like he was scared to talk.

Something in Gilbert's head clicked into place. Moving mechanically over to the shower, he tried to figure out how to broach the topic. He turned the shower on, not caring about how wet his head got, before cranking the heat up and sitting back on his haunches. Kiku's gaze seemed to burn into his back.

"So, how long had it been since you've been in a house?" Wow. That… was not what he meant to say. He was glad that his back was to Kiku. "...A while." Holy shit, did Gilbert feel like an asshole. But in for a penny… "How long is that? I mean, there's someone that you call family, right?" He tested the water. It was warm, but not enough for a shower. "Yeah. It's just been a while since I've seen them." Gilbert nodded. "Do they have a cabin?" "No. We camped." Gilbert hummed, licking his lips nervously as he considered what he was going to say next. "Were they… You know." "No. They were not." Gilbert tested the water again. It was almost warm enough.

"Were you born like that?" "Yeah." Gilbert shut his eyes, gathering up his courage, and turned around. The towel was still loosely draped on Kiku, but the… gills… were still visible. They lay flat against his chest, long lines with just the barest hint of red peeking out. Gilbert tore his eyes away. Kiku shifted his weight from foot to foot. "It's… If they make you nervous, I can…" Gilbert shook his head, looking determinedly at Kiku's face and very much not the slits on his torso. "It's cool. Just… You know. I mean, it's not like I'm totally normal either! So it's not, well it is weird but you don't have to do. Anything. Yeah." Even as he looked the rest of Kiku over, he was struck by how damn skinny the asian was. His hips and shoulders jutted out awkwardly, and if Gilbert had been willing to look at Kiku's ribcage he would have been able to count the boy's ribs.

That made a certain morbid amount of sense though, didn't it? It sounded like his family hadn't been over in a while. He must have been eating whatever he could catch. And out of that, he would only be able to eat what he could cook correctly. Did he have a camp stove? Eating raw fish and whatever fruits grew in these woods couldn't be enough. What about winter?

Damn, but Gilbert's eyes kept being drawn back to the gills. He looked into the corner of the room instead. "The water's probably ready." Kiku nodded. Neither moved. A thought crossed Gilbert's mind, but even he was too embarrassed to say it.

Kiku looked at his feet, his face a vibrant red. "Uhh…" He looked fully away. "Idon'tknowhowtoshowerright." It was so fast and mumbled that Gilbert almost didn't catch it. "What?" The blush on Kiku's face had spread to his entire neck and even some of his shoulders. "I haven't been in a proper shower for… ever. Ilivedoutdoors. There was no where else…"

Gilbert's throat seemed tight. He looked back at the shower. It was small as it was. With two people… "What do you want me to…?" Kiku brought the towel back around himself, a shy gesture. "Stay in here? Not in, you know, but…" Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, I guess." He found himself unable to summon his usual self-confidence, it being drained away by the reality he faced. There was some awkward shuffling, but eventually Kiku did step into the shower, still wearing his faded shorts, while Gilbert sat down on the toilet.

Kiku did have enough sense to slide the door shut, but he didn't seem to realize that Gilbert could see him through the frosted glass. He stared into his lap as Kiku stripped off his shorts, less because of the asian's nudity and more because the water had activated, so to speak, Kiku's gills. He could see the flashes of red as Kiku relaxed into the water. Gilbert felt ill.

Kiku was now contemplating the soap dish. "Erm, what does…" "The bar is for your body, the bottle is for your hair." Kiku made a noise in the affirmative, picking up the shampoo first. Gilbert was content to let silence fall as Kiku scrubbed the soap into his hair. It was a few minutes before Kiku spoke again. "...What is your name, anyway?"

Gilbert blinked, looked up for a second. A flash of red, and he looked back down. "I didn't tell you?" Kiku was scrubbing his hair again. Well, if it had been so long since he had a shower that he didn't know what shampoo looked like, he probably needed to wash twice. "No. You sort of skipped over it."

Thinking back to their conversation on the dock, he actually had. Huh. "Well, my name's Gilbert. Gilbert Weillschmidt." Kiku nodded to himself as he rinsed his hair. "That's an interesting name." "...It's just old-fashioned." Kiku seemed a little startled. "No, really! It's a nice name. I like it." "If you say so."

Kiku was washing himself now, standing out of the way of the stream. "It is, I think. ...Well, I haven't heard a lot of names, really, but I-" He dropped the soap, crying out in pain. It wasn't so loud that anyone else would come running, but Kiku clearly was in pain. His silhouette slipped from view as Kiku crumpled. Gilbert yanked the sliding door open, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of Kiku, curled up the the fetal position.

Kiku looked absolutely mortified when he realized that Gilbert was looking. "I-I'm fine! I got soap in…" Against his better judgement, Gilbert looked down. The gills looked redder, slightly inflamed. Another soapy drop of water dribbled in, and Kiku gasped and shuddered again. Gilbert glanced at the shower head. It wasn't detachable, but…

He grabbed Kiku under the armpits, dragging him beneath the water. Kiku didn't struggle, but he did curl up closer into himself. Gilbert dragged Kiku up so that he could be propped against the wall of the shower, at which point he realized how bizarrely intimate the situation was. He was halfway in the shower, his shirt soaking wet, holding Kiku up against the wall. Kiku, who was very much naked.

Gilbert recoiled, carefully not thinking about what he just did, and specifically not about how soft Kiku's skin felt and how his body hair seemed much finer than any normal humans, but that made sense NO. He wasn't thinking about that. Nor was he thinking about how Kiku was looking at him, shy and embarrassed and almost sort of cute, which was sick wasn't it because he'd just been in pain and why was Gilbert thinking like this? He wasn't some fourteen year old girl, he was Gilbert fucking Weillschmidt, and even if he did swing both ways he also only went for humans.

He stood up stiffly, sliding the door back shut. But still, he found himself staring at the door, watching where Kiku's silhouette should have been. Kiku got up slowly, bracing himself against the wall. He picked up the soap again, though Gilbert had no clue why. It probably would have been a better idea to just rinse off, but Kiku seemed determined. But Kiku did seem to be more careful this time, with Gilbert only being able to hear one hiss of pain. Another flash of red reminded Gilbert of why he had been so freaked out in the first place. He felt ill, but he wanted to see.

Goddamnit. Goddamnit! Why did Kiku have to look so human? Why couldn't he just look like something out of a bad horror movie, so that Gilbert wouldn't feel so damn guilty about his disgust? Kiku seemed nice. He really did. But why couldn't he just be normal? If he was normal, then maybe…

Wait, maybe what? Did he like Kiku? Gilbert would admit, the guy wasn't bad looking, but did he really like Kiku like that? Well, like was a little strong. He'd known the guy for, what an hour. But he was… attractive. That was the question Gilbert was asking. Did he really find Kiku attractive?

"Gilbert? I'm done…" Kiku called over the sound of the water. Blinking, Gilbert realized that he was still standing in front of the shower door. He stepped back, replying, "Just leave the water on. I'll get in once you're dressed." He turned around, only half for Kiku's privacy. He heard the door open, the shuffling of cloth as kiku dried and dressed. There were a few clicks as Kiku fiddled with the lock, before finally he heard the door open and shut.

Gilbert sighed heavily. He was exhausted, both from the day itself and the ordeal that was Kiku. He shrugged off his shirt, belatedly realizing that he had neglected to grab any fresh clothing for himself. Whatever. Kiku hadn't taken the bath towel, so he'd just wrap up in that.

Climbing into the shower, he finally relaxed. There were so many less distractions here. He could just think about what to do next. He didn't usually think his actions through. He went with the current, and it had always worked out. But now here he was, with a mutant boy in his house. A mutant boy who he apparently found attractive. A mutant boy who was shy but really sort of sweet in an awkward way and arrrghh.

He needed to relax, to not think about Kiku. He picked up the soap, trying hard not to think about what had happened only minutes before. But as he ran the soap over himself, he couldn't help but remember the cry Kiku had made and the bizarre look of the gills and how fast Gilbert had moved when he realized that Kiku was hurt.

He wished he'd never noticed Kiku, he wished that he'd noticed Kiku years ago. He wanted to just let Kiku disappear in the morning, he wanted to go back to his camp and see how he lived. He wanted to forget, he wanted to know everything. He wanted to just get away from this stupid lake and never see Kiku again, he wanted to meet Kiku's family and shake them and demand to know why the hell they didn't just hide the gills and let the boy have a normal life, damn it, didn't he deserve it? He wanted, he wanted, he wanted.

What was he supposed to do?

Stretching, Gilbert stepped back beneath the water, feeling the soap and sweat slough off of him. He didn't know. _He didn't know._ What to do, what to say, what? He felt like screaming, he felt like asking Kiku everything, he felt like just going to sleep. Yeah. Sleep sounded good. He even had the queen bed this year, not the day bed, so Kiku would be sleeping by Ludwig, not him.

He wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

As he poured some shampoo into the palm of his hand, he considered if that was a good thing. It seemed to him like there would be a bigger chance of Ludwig finding out if Kiku's shirt rode up in his sleep or something, but Ludwig was trustworthy. He wouldn't tell. ...Wait, didn't they take the trundle mattress back home?

"...Fuck."

The word echoed in the bathroom. If they didn't have the trundle mattress, Kiku couldn't sleep there. They didn't even have a proper couch, just a tiny loveseat and a few chairs. So either Kiku would sleep on the floor, or…

"Fuck!"

If Kiku was human, Gilbert might have been happy about this development. There was some tiny weird part of him that was still happy about that, really. But most of him was weirded out by the idea. What if Kiku's shirt did ride up? The gills would be right there.

He scrubbed his hair. The more he thought about it, the more conflicted he was. But by far the strangest thought to cross his mind was what did the gills feel like? He'd handled fish before, but Kiku wasn't fully a fish. So, they'd be different, right?

He hung his head beneath the stream. Why was this so complicated? Okay, he knew why. But why did it have to be? There was no shortcut, no clean way out. Okay, there was one way, but he couldn't just kick Kiku out in the middle of a storm! He could die, and Gilbert wasn't about to let that rest on his conscience.

Gilbert shut the shower off, climbing out. Where was- right. He had to use a towel. He rolled his shoulders, securing the towel around his waist.

Gilbert was nothing if not surprised to see Kiku and Ludwig sitting on the day bed, deep in conversation. They seemed to Gilbert an odd pair, but whatever worked…

They both looked up at Gilbert's entrance. Gilbert grinned in response. "Yo." Ludwig practically rolled his eyes at that, and Kiku just looked away. He really was shy, which Gilbert thought odd, especially since Gilbert had seen him naked. That sort of opened new boundaries, you know? Whatever. He turned to the wardrobe. "Hey West, do we still have the trundle mattress?" He was pretty sure they didn't, but it never hurt to check. There was a _thump_ as Ludwig hopped onto the floor. Gilbert grabbed a pair of boxers, sliding them on under the towel. "Nope. We moved it into storage, remember?" Gilbert let the towel drop to the floor as he dug around for his pajama shirt.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." There it was. Why was it at the bottom? "Sorry Kiku, you'll have to sleep on the floor." Kiku didn't say anything, but Gilbert could feel Ludwig's glare. "You can't have a guest sleep on the floor." Gilbert pulled the shirt over his head. "So he's sleeping with you, then?" He laughed to himself as he grabbed his sweatpants. "Gilbert." Now, he was laughing openly. "Don't get your panties in a twist, West. I know where the kid's sleeping."

Strangely, Kiku was silent throughout the exchange. Kiku was silent a lot. It unnerved Gilbert. Gilbert always had something to say, ill-advised though it may have been. But, he seemed to at least accept the sleeping arrangements. What time was it, anyways? It felt late. "I'm just gonna go to bed now, anyway." He called over his shoulder. "I'm beat."

"I was going to bed too." Ludwig answered. So then… "Kiku? You too?" A moment of hesitation. "Alright." Gilbert turned around, hand on his hips. "That's that, then!" His declaration was slightly undermined by his yawn. Kiku was staring down into his lap. Oh Well. "Kiku, D'you want to sleep by the wall? Or does it matter?" Kiku shrugged. "By the wall, I guess."

Gilbert made a sweeping gesture towards the bed. "It's all yours." It took a moment for Kiku to move, but he did. His movements were jerky, nervous. Gilbert didn't blame him. Ludwig stretched his shoulders, tossing back the covers of his bed. When had he changed into pajamas? ...Since when did he wear proper pajamas? Well, there was a guest.

Speaking of, Kiku had crawled into the queen bed, pressed as close to the wall as he could get. Gilbert raised an eyebrow at this, but let it go. Selfish as it may have sounded, he really didn't want to draw any attention to Kiku. Trustworthy though Luddy was, the fewer people that knew the secret, the better.

Gilbert crossed the room, switching off the light with a deft flick. The lamp by Ludwig's bed was still on, so it wasn't as though it was pitch black in the room, but it was still much darker than before. Could Kiku see in the dark? Lots of fish could. Well, Gilbert was pretty sure they could. Maybe he could ask Kiku once Ludwig was asleep.

Gilbert threw the covers back, relaxing as he lay down. He pulled the covers up, sighing contentedly. It would be good to get some sleep.

LINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAK

It was still dark when Gilbert woke up. Blearily, Gilbert wondered what even woke him up, but maybe it was just nothing. He heard nothing but the sound of Kiku's breathing, uneven beside him.

Wait, uneven? Gilbert did not know much about fish, but even they breathed smoothly in sleep, didn't they? Kiku wasn't even under water. He turned over, propping himself on his side to get a better look at Kiku. He was facing the wall, and… shivering? He seemed scared. Gilbert didn't like it. He shifted a little closer. "Kiku?"

The boy froze. "...Were you trying to leave?" He didn't need to ask, but he wanted confirmation. Kiku's silence was more than enough. "Why?" Kiku remained silent. Gilbert considered putting a hand on his shoulder, but he did not move. "Turn around, Kiku." A tiny shift. "I know you're awake." Kiku cringed into himself. Gilbert sighed. "I warned you." Kiku moved, to push himself up and run? But Gilbert grabbed his arm, pulled him back down. Kiku turned to face Gilbert, not to face Gilbert but to grab at the albino's wrist. Gilbert grabbed Kiku's other wrist and held tight, tight enough to hurt if Kiku's lack of movement meant anything.

"Calm down! I just want to talk." Kiku shook his head. "Just let me leave. I'll leave the clothes behind." Gilbert shook his head. "Why do you need to leave so bad? What are you so worried about?" Kiku stared at him. "You know what! If someone else finds out, if they start telling, someone will come looking! And I can hide, but not forever. They will catch me, they will ship me off to some lab, and, and, I don't even know what else!" His voice rose in pitch, and ever so slightly in volume, with each word.

Gilbert glanced over his shoulder at his still-sleeping brother. "Calm down! You'll wake up Ludwig!" This seemed to get through to Kiku a little, as he did lower his voice, but panic still shone in his eyes. "You don't understand. You're human, you have rights! If they catch me, I'll never be alone again. A human with a large enough mutation to have functioning gills? They'd never let me out of their sight! They'd keep me in a lab until the day I died!"

Gilbert nodded, glancing again at Ludwig. "I know they would. But look, if you disappear in the middle of the night-" "You can cover for me. Or- God, I never should have come to this side of the lake." Did Kiku really think he'd tell? That actually offended Gilbert. "I would, but it's better if you stay." The glint of suspicion and raw, animal fear in Kiku's eyes disquieted Gilbert. "Why?"

Gilbert was silent. He didn't know… Okay, he knew why he wanted Kiku to stay, and why he didn't, and the conflicting emotions made him feel almost ill. What were the words for it? How could he explain a crush on someone he barely knew?

Taking his silence for an answer, Kiku's eyes widened. "Would you? Oh my God." He resumed his struggle, and Gilbert did not dare let him go. Not now, when Kiku was so careless in his fear. "Get away from me! Don't- Don't touch me!" "Don't make a racket!" Gilbert hissed. "You'll wake the whole house up!"

But the fear that had lingered in Kiku's eyes before was now dominant. He pressed up against the wall, his whole body tensed. "What's the point? You'll turn me in anyway, oh God, I'll never see any of them again, I never said goodbye, why, why did I even try to talk, I knew it was stupid why _why_-" Kiku actually would wake someone up if he kept on. So, Gilbert did what instinct dictated. It wasn't until he was halfway through the action that he realised that this was an extraordinarily bad idea, but oh well. He grabbed Kiku's shoulder, dragged him forward, and kissed him.

It was only a second long, but it was enough. Kiku stopped his struggles, staring blankly at Gilbert. Gilbert sighed. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Okay?" Unfortunately, Kiku's brain had apparently suffered a crash. After another few seconds, he nodded dumbly. He took a deep breath. "What are we going to do, then? If your dad sees…" "Yeah…" Okay… Okay. He had a plan. Sort of.

"What we're gonna do is wait here until morning. I'll say that I'm walking you back, we can get out of view, then you can just get in the lake and swim back." It was sketchy, but it would work. Even if someone went looking, Kiku would still be in the lake. It wasn't foolproof, really, but it was close enough.

Kiku nodded. "Okay. I… Yeah. Okay." Gilbert smiled. In for a penny… He moved closer, shifting his arm over Kiku's shoulder, holding him close. "It'll be fine." God, he hoped he was right. He'd never live with himself if it wasn't.

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The first thing Gilbert realized as he awoke was that there was something very warm next to him. The second thing was that whatever it was, it smelled like soap and laundry detergent. He took a deep breath, and something tickled his nose. Like… He blinked his eyes open. Kiku was curled up next to him, his head just below Gilbert's. The other boy was fast asleep. Gilbert smiled a little to himself. It was creepy maybe, but Gilbert was slightly entranced by the sleeping figure. Kiku was calm like this. Gilbert had never seen him calm. He liked it.

All good things had to end, however, and after a few minutes, Kiku woke up. He blinked in the soft morning light, still a little sleepy. Gilbert sat up a bit, evaluating the light that spilled into the room. He looked over at his brother. Still asleep. It must be pretty early then.

He turned back to Kiku. "We could probably leave now…" He murmured. If Ludwig wasn't awake, his dad wouldn't be either. It would be safe. Kiku sat up. "...That might be best." But neither of them moved. Finally, Gilbert pushed the covers off. "Well."

Kiku nodded. "I guess." He scooted around Gilbert, off the bed. He stretched his legs, rolling from his heels to his toes. It was oddly charming. Goddamnit. Gilbert followed suit, though with less stretching. "Let's go then."

They were both silent as the walked through the silent cabin to the dock. The glassy-green surface of the lake was still. The sun was rising. Kiku and Gilbert stood next to each other, barely daring to breathe. Finally, Gilbert turned to Kiku. "I…" Kiku didn't look over. Instead, he stripped off his shirt. Gilbert swallowed the lump in his throat. "Kiku." Then his pants were off. He had changed into his trunks sometime during the night. He could see the tenseness of his jaw.

Gilbert reached out, touched Kiku's arm. That was all. Gilbert was scared to grab him, frightened that he might just jump into the lake and disappear. But it seemed to snap Kiku out of his trance, and he looked over, his eyes brimming with questions. Gilbert stepped closer, his hand hovering near Kiku's face.

They snapped at the same time, Kiku leaning up and Gilbert pulling him close. Then it was lips on lips, Kiku's mouth slipping open and Gilbert taking the chance. One hand was on Kiku's hip, the other on the back of his head, and this was probably the weirdest thing Gilbert had even done but damn if they didn't fit together.

He'd told Kiku that he wasn't normal either, and he was telling the truth. A freak with a freak. Gilbert flicked his tongue against the roof of Kiku's mouth, exploring every inch he could because he may never get this chance again. The hand on Kiku's hip twitched, but he didn't dare move it up.

Everyone had to breathe sometime, and it was Gilbert who pulled away first. He grinned as he took in the sight of Kiku, the boy's face bright red and his breathing heavy. His grin faded as he remembered why he had to take that chance now. There was only one other question. His gaze traveled down Kiku's lithe body lingering on…

"You can… If you want, I mean." Gilbert looked up. "Are you sure?" This was… bold, for Kiku. Intimate. Not unwelcome, but odd. Kiku shrugged a little, looking to the side. "Well, you won't have another chance for…" Gilbert smirked. "Maybe we could meet somewhere. Like, along the lake shore." "I know. It's just… dangerous." Of course it was. For one second, Gilbert didn't care. But… this was Kiku. Shy, paranoid Kiku. He'd play by Kiku's rules. "Just for a couple weeks. Once a year, every summer. No one will ever know." Kiku's head dipped towards Gilbert, just a bit.

"I'll miss you." Gilbert laughed. "How long have we known each other?" So it was a little hypocritical of Gilbert. He could be hypocritical if he wanted. "I know. It's just…" He shut his eyes. "It's been a long time since I've been able to meet someone. To talk to anyone besides my family." Gilbert tilted Kiku's head up, rested his forehead against the other boy's. "I understand."

They stood there like that for one beautiful silent moment. Gilbert drew his hand up Kiku's side. Just a few more inches, and…

They didn't feel like Gilbert thought they would. The texture of the skin changed, becoming rubbery and even plush. Gilbert expected slime or slickness, but it was soft instead. He brushed a thumb over one of the openings, marveling at the papery texture. Kiku shivered under his touch. How did it feel for Kiku? Gilbert thought it might have felt ticklish, but Kiku gave no indication. Kiku's pulse was bright beneath his fingertips. He rested his palm over the gills. He could feel Kiku's breaths, his heartbeat, his every movement.

Kiku stepped back. "I need to go before it's too late." Gilbert nodded. He could still feel the imprint of the gill against his hand. "I'll see you around. I'll make sure of it." Kiku might've raised an eyebrow, but he turned back to the lake too quickly for Gilbert to tell. "...Bye." Gilbert grinned. "Not for long."

Kiku sat down on the dock, and pushed himself off and in. He barely made a splash.

Gilbert sat down dangling his legs over the side of the dock, but he did not see Kiku go.

* * *

**When I sat down to write this, I didn't think it would be over 2000 words. It's 6900+ words. Geez.**

**Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Review and I'll get back to you on it!**


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